Walking the West Highland Way Day 8 – Kinlochleven to Glen Nevis
Some links on this site are affiliate links. If you purchase something using an affiliate link, I may earn a small commission. This doesn’t cost you anything extra, and helps offset the costs of keeping this site online. Thank you for your support!
Day 8 on the West Highland Way was bittersweet as I said goodbye to my trail friends and finished the day only a few miles away from the end of this amazing Scotland hiking adventure.
Start from the beginning with West Highland Way day 1: Milngavie to Drymen or see all West Highland Way posts.
Like the video?
Subscribe to my YouTube channel and see all my hiking, motorcycle, travel, and adventure videos.
Breakfast at MacDonald Hotel in Kinlochleven
I had made a reservation for breakfast at MacDonald hotel for 8 a.m. – the earliest they offered. There was only one other person having breakfast at 8:00. I has a Scottish breakfast – fuel for the 13 mile (21 km) hike to Glen Nevis Caravan and Camping Park. Since I decided not to hike Ben Nevis, I had the option to hike all the way to the end today, then make my way back the last couple of miles to Glen Nevis. Or I could stop at Glen Nevis and finish the last couple of miles of the West Highland Way tomorrow.
Packing up a wet tent
I had put my tent up in a hurry due to the rain and the midges, and it wasn’t staked out properly. Things were a little damp inside my tent, including the edges of my sleeping bag and air mattress. Only one more night on the West Highland Way, though – I would be fine. My biggest issue was blisters – so many blisters! I had some other aches and pains now and again, but the blisters were really painful. The worst ones were on the sides of my feet – not somewhere I usually got blisters. I had tried some special blister bandages / plasters, but had a reaction to them, making my feet a real mess! But I am very blister prone, and I was so close to the end.
The climb out of Kinlochleven on the West Highland Way
The climb out of Kinlochleven was intense – long, steep, and seemingly never-ending. Some of it was stone steps, wet with rain. It was basically the reverse of the long gravel road down the day before. I was hiking with Arjan, a trail friend from the Netherlands. Sonja, a trail friend from Belgium caught up with us along the way. Our routes were similar and our paths had crossed many times, so it was nice to spend this last day together. Arjan would finish today; Sonja tomorrow.
We reached the top of the climb out of Kinlochleven and the West Highland Way trail leveled out. There were still some occasional ups and downs, but we had made it through the most difficult part of the day. The views of the loch were stunning.
More rain on the West Highland Way
It rained on and off all day, but nothing too crazy. It was just enough rain to not be able to put away the rain gear, though the sun would come out in between. The higher elevations were very windy, too, and covered in mist. The trail was wide and rocky and fairly crowded – we passed and were passed all day long.
Looking for a rainbow at the end of the trail
With the changing weather – sun to rain to sun again – I was hoping to see a rainbow. It was beginning to sink in that this grand adventure was nearing the end. I would soon say goodbye to the West Highland Way and to my trail friends.
The hills were lush and green with occasional blue sky. Ben Nevis loomed in the distance, as did the end of the trail. If you don’t know, Ben Nevis is the tallest mountain in Britain. Glen Nevis is the valley – and the town near the foot of Ben Nevis. Glen Nevis was my destination for the night. One last night in a campground before staying in a hotel in Fort William for a couple of nights.
Get the West Highland Way guidebook
I love this guidebook! The maps are great – hand drawn with just the right amount of detail. It’s how I planned my route and I scanned the map pages to take with me. See the guidebook
Headed down into Glen Nevis on the West Highland Way
As we began our descent toward Glen Nevis, Ben Nevis still looming in the distance, the sun peeked out. The road was steep and we could see Ben Nevis seeming to grow in the sky. And then, stretched across the mountains, appeared a pale rainbow, slowly darkening, then fading away again. It was a lovely sight, and I was so happy it showed up before our small group separated.
We reached the turn to Glen Nevis. Arjan continued on to the end, while Sonjia and I walked into town. She was staying at a hostel and I was at Glen Nevis Campground, so this was the end of our group.
Glen Nevis Caravan and Camping
The campground was huge, and had spaces for campers / caravans and tents. I checked it and they showed me all the different areas I could put my tent. My feet hurt and I was tired. I chose a place close to the toilets. It’s not a great view but I chose convenience instead!
My tent was completely soaked and my sleeping bag and air mattress were still wet. It was raining when I set them up which didn’t help. There was at least enough wind to keep the midges away. The campground map showed the prevailing wind direction with instructions on tent placement to keep it from blowing around.
The facilities at the Glen Nevis Campground
This was a beautiful campground with amazing facilities. There were plenty of toilets and showers, and the laundry facilities had washers, dryers, and even irons. I could have had freshly pressed clean clothes if I wanted! I mean, no way was I going to iron, but I did wash and dry my clothes.
I put my clothes in the wash, then took a shower. After the shower, the sun had come out. I was able to air out my tent, and set all of my gear out to dry. I was clean, my clothes were clean and dry, all my wet gear was now dry, and I was only a few miles from the end of the West Highland Way. It was great to know I would finish strong (and clean), and I enjoyed the rest of the evening in my backpacking chair with my toes in the grass.
